Conflict over transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea: South Korea irritated by Ukraine's announcement

[Seoul Jiji] The South Korean government is becoming increasingly irritated by Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's announcement that he has transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. South Korea is demanding an apology from Ukraine, saying it broke a prior agreement to keep the matter private.

Ukrainian president transfers North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea for the first time since the invasion

On the 23rd, Zelenskyy said in his general debate speech at the United Nations General Assembly that he had sent two people to South Korea. The two were captured in Russia's western Kursk region in January 2025, and are said to have expressed an intention to defect to South Korea. The South Korean government has avoided confirming the facts, but reports say the two are being protected by South Korean intelligence authorities.

On the 24th, President Lee Jae-myung posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Ukraine had broken the agreement. ``I don't know what the circumstances are, but I am very disappointed.''

According to Ukrainian media, a close aide to Zelenskyy later stated that "there was no (private) agreement." In response, a senior South Korean official in the presidential office issued a statement on the 27th, criticizing the Ukrainian side once again, calling it ``an act that seriously undermines the trust between the two governments,'' assuming the existence of an agreement.